Push and Pull
by DGMSilverAirHead03
Summary: Aang has encountered a small problem.


**A/N: **Hey everyone this is my Valentine's Day contribution to AtLA. :)

* * *

**Disclaimer: **Not mine, not now, not ever.

* * *

Push and Pull

* * *

_Push and pull._

_Moon and water._

_Tui and La._

_They completed each other._

* * *

Aang fidgeted nervously, looking intently at the pale bluish white stone that sat in his palm.

"_If you intend to marry my daughter, you're going to have to follow our customs._"

Aang sighed. He had no idea how to carve an engagement necklace.

What if he screwed up? Hakoda hadn't been worried but Sokka and Pakku had been… a little apprehensive.

"This is hopeless," he muttered and looked out at Republic City. Air Temple Island was great but Aang needed to talk to someone and the Air Acolytes wouldn't do.

He pushed open the door and took off on his glider. Aang flew in low over the city square where a woman in metal armor was berating a couple of street kids.

"…and if I ever catch you stealing again, you'll be spending the night in a jail cell! Got it?"

The two kids nodded anxiously. "Yes, Chief Bei Fong!"

"Good! Now get out of here munchkins!" They scurried off as Aang landed softly behind the woman, who cocked her head to the side.

"That you Twinkle Toes?"

"I'm twenty years old Toph. Stop calling me Twinkle Toes."

Toph just grinned. "Sure, whatever. So what can I do you for? Get bored of the island already?"

"Well… Actually I could use some advice."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Really? From me?"

Aang sighed. He actually would have preferred to talk to anyone else (even Zuko), but Toph was the only person available right now.

"Yeah. You see, I was planning to propose to Katara the next time I'm in the Southern Water Tribe—"

"Seriously? That's great! When do I get a wedding invitation? I'll need to put in for some time off!"

"Toph, I can't ask her yet!"

The blind police officer stopped her congratulations and made a face. "Why not? Sokka being a problem? Cause I can totally round up Suki and Ty Lee and we can lock him up in the Kyoshi Dojo."

Aang couldn't help laughing at a vision of the two Kyoshi warriors and Toph throwing a hog-tied Sokka in the dojo. "No, it's not Sokka. It's this."

He pulled out the stone Hakoda gave him to carve for Toph to see.

"…Alright, I'll bite. What should I be seeing? You know, if I weren't _blind_."

"Oh right… Well it's a small blue stone. I'm supposed to carve an engagement necklace from it."

Toph rolled her milky white eyes. "So? Carve it."

"That's just it. I don't know what to carve!"

She sighed. "Just think of her and what you want for her. You _do _know _that, _don't you?"

Aang fidgeted slightly and whispered, "What if Katara doesn't like it?"

Toph softened and held our her hand. Aang put his own hand in hers and she squeezed.

"If it's from you, she'll love it. What was the old saying? 'Make sure it comes from the heart.' Katara will love it."

Then she slid her hand up Aang's arm and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Oh and Aang?"

"Yes?"

Toph whacked him upside the head. "If you tell anyone we know that we had this little heart-to-heart Twinkle Toes, I'll make sure you _stay _the only air-bender in the world. Clear?"

"Crystal," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks Toph."

"No problem. But I better be the first person to get an invitation to the wedding. If Zuko and Mai get one before me, I'll be the first metal-bending police officer to throw the Avatar in jail."

_Later that day…_

Aang sat once more in his sparsely decorated room and stared intently at the stone.

What did he want from a life with Katara? What did he want for her?

Well, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He wanted to unite with her and her family, her nation.

Aang slowly picked up a chisel and started to carve.

* * *

Katara looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. February winter was just starting to get rough and that meant this would likely be the last trip Aang could make to the Southern Water Tribe until the spring in April.

She spotted Appa soaring through the sky and land in the middle of a group of very excited children. Aang slid off of him and allowed the children to tug on him and hug him.

"Alright now, that's enough. Leave Avatar Aang alone," she chided gently shooing away them away.

Aang smiled and took her hand, pressing it to his chest. "Katara, it's great to see you. I missed you so much."

She laughed and hugged him as tightly as her thick winter parka would allow. "I missed you too. C'mon, Gran-Gran, Pakku and Dad will want to see you. Sokka is with the Kyoshi Warriors right now. Suki broke her leg and Ty Lee demanded he come and take care of her."

Aang laughed. "I'm sure Suki loved that."

Kanna and Pakku welcomed the Avatar warmly and Hakoda clapped Aang firmly on the shoulder. When Katara went to help her grandmother in the kitchen, Pakku joined Hakoda and the Avatar in the corner.

"Well Aang? Have you finished the necklace?" asked Hakoda. Aang nodded.

"I plan to give it to her tonight. It's Valentine's Day after all."  
"May I make a suggestion?" asked Pakku before leaning down and whispering in the Air Nomad's ear.

Aang's ever-present smile grew wider. "That's a fantastic idea Sifu Pakku!"

"What's a fantastic idea?"

The three men jumped and turned to see Katara looking at them in befuddled amusement.

"It's nothing. I'll tell you later okay?" said Aang, squeezing her hand and allowing her to guide him to the table.

After dinner, Aang asked Katara to join him for a short walk. They walked until the light of the igloo was a small pinprick of light.

"What are we doing out here Aang?" she asked as the Avatar paused on top of a snowy hill. He then proceeded to water-bend an ice bench and helped Katara sit down.

"You asked me what fantastic idea your grandfather gave me and I'm answering your question. Look out over the ocean."

Katara smiled and peered out over the ocean. After a few minutes, the moon came out and different colors hone across the sky.

She watched in awe. Katara had been sure that this only happened in the northern tribes. She glanced behind her and saw Aang deep in concentration, bending the elements so that they were just right to create a replica of the Northern Lights.

She turned back to watch some more and when they ended, she pulled Aang over to sit next to her.

"Thank you Aang. It was beautiful. Best Valentine's present yet!"

Aang smiled tiredly (it had taken a lot of work to put on that show) and stood up in front of her.

"That's not all I have for you." He slowly knelt in front of her and took one of her gloved hands in his. His light gray eyes bored into her ocean blue ones. "Katara, daughter of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. Will you marry me?"

Katara gasped as he pulled a dark blue choker with a white stone out of the folds of his robes. Carved into the surface were three air swirls identical to the ones carved into Aang's wooden air master pendant. Around them was a thin crescent moon and underneath them were the wavy lines that represented the water.

"Oh Aang…" she whispered touching the stone. A lump rose in her throat and she swallowed thickly. She opened her mouth to reply, but found that her voice had failed her. So instead, she slipped off her gloves and reached behind her neck to untie her mother's necklace. Aang, understanding what she was doing, reached up and tied his necklace around her neck.

"So, just to be clear, this is a yes?" he asked smiling nervously. Katara felt a laugh bubble up in her throat and giggled.

"Yes Aang. I will marry you."

Aang took her hand once more and noticed Katara glance at her mother's necklace. He picked it up and untied the front of his orange robe. He fastened the necklace around his neck and smiled.

"There. Now you know it's safe." Katara felt tears prick at her eyes and hugged her fiancée tightly.

"I love you. So much."

"And I love you. Forever."

* * *

_Push and pull._

_Moon and water._

_Tui and La._

_They completed each other._

* * *

**A/N: **The end! Hope you liked it. :) Review!


End file.
